‘Miss Botswana failed to use her crown’
WeekendLife
A beauty pageant is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants.
However, most contests have evolved to also incorporate talent, and a contestant’s ability to answer judges’ questions on various subjects as judged criteria. They became more popular in the 1880s and the oldest pageant still in operation today is the Miss America pageant, which was organized in 1921. Well, that is a story for another day.
Prominent beauty queens are assigned tasks they are supposed to fulfill during their reign. In most incidences, if a queen fails to fulfill her duties, she is dethroned and the first runner up replaces her. In the same way, Miss Botswana has duties and responsibilities she should live up to.
The reigning queen Oweditse Phirinyane was crowned the winner of the controversial ‘Miss Botswana’ last year, literally two months before the novel Corona-virus hit and swept the entire world. To a certain degree, the deadly pandemic had an impact on her reign, a negative impact I must say!
In an exclusive interview with Weekend Life, prominent beauty pageants enthusiast and analyst who is also a public relations practitioner, Morekolodi Smith says Miss Botswana 2019/2020 Oweditse Phirinyane portrayed high level of incompetence, saying this has been a trend in Miss Botswana.
‘’As much as we hate to admit this as a fact, one would think it is hereditary. Phirinyane did not make a sustainable or traceable impact in her community. The expectation was that she was going to be influential but she fits nowhere in the hierarchy. She took part in Miss World and she clapped, she did not place. Her incompetence makes her undesirable.’’
Smith revealed in an interview that Miss Botswana projects are half cooked, saying he queen failed to implement her projects efficiently. Her project dubbed ‘rough diamonds’ is not well documented and there are missing pieces and there is no assurance that it is fruitful Smith said.
‘’There is no record of her project’s history, the current situation and the results. What was supposed to be done was, a narrative background, what was the situation like before groundbreaking of the project, and then what could be done which is the solution. This is the stage where Miss Botswana should have been hands on and recruit as many volunteers and sponsors as she could.
How many children have actually graduated from her program? There is no record. I assume she is solo on this project. Well, I must say Phirinyane failed to reach out for aid, she did not use the platform of Miss Botswana to drive change and she did not effectively use a crown for a purpose,’’ Smith said.
According to this beauty pageants analyst, it has been a norm that after competing at Miss World, Miss Botswana goes into a complete eerie silence. ‘’In my opinion Miss Botswana should have been a front liner during this COVID-19 crisis. Social media is very interactive but her pages are dry and mind-numbing. It is a shame really.
There are no messages that raise awareness about the virus, let alone no videos of her interacting with fans. Both the queen and the organization should be doing online educational campaigns or a donation drive but they are just silent.’’
Smith indicated that this is not what Miss Botswana, Miss World or beauty with a purpose stand for, saying that the Miss Botswana has been subscribing to a concept they cannot adhere to. ‘’This really jeopardizes the integrity of the organization because it does not leave a foot print in building communities and changing lives.’’
Miss World 2020 will be the 70th anniversary of the Miss World pageant. Toni-Ann Singh of Jamaica will crown her successor at the end of the event. As of 3 August 2020, 11 contestants have been selected. Several national pageants have been rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic until further notice.
Smith stressed that Miss Botswana organization would not be hosting the pageant this year due to the pandemic, but first runner up will represent the country in Bangkok, Thailand. He however indicated that Miss World has not issued a statement to license holders to appoint runner ups.
Miss Botswana as a reputable organization and brand is weak and dying, Smith said. ‘’Miss Botswana is already deteriorated. There is always controversy year in and out. National directors come and go. It seems like no one can keep that brand stable. Miss Botswana has lost its credibility and many do not want to associate with it anymore.
I blame the management and they are robbing this country it’s branding and position space in Miss World. The management needs to know what Miss Botswana and Miss World stands for and create a winning formula. Unless they learn that it will continue to be a cook off show, and the results will be continuous loss streak at Miss World,’’ Smith said.
WeekendLife
Creatives taking over 2023
Creativity is seen everywhere and these individuals did something recently that’s never been done before, and some are still killing it. We see creativity on streaming platforms, stages, runways, social media and boardrooms even. Some of them are revamping their businesses, and lately, clothing sale is thriving.
They love concept-driven designs, storytelling and they bring fresh ideas and new perspectives that will leave footprints in the sand. Post the COVID-19 pandemic, these creative minds utilized the drawing board and they became cognizant that monetizing content will actually take them far, which is frank nonetheless.
This is commendable though, but the creative industry will still need support from government in order for it to flourish further. Allocation of resources (funds, facilities and empowerment) should be done consistently, creativity must be raised and at the end of the day, the economy benefits from that kind of investment.
HAN C
Ever since he parted ways with his former manager, DJ Bougee Sid, Mahalapye born-pint sized, multi-award-winning artist, Hanceford Magapatona has been taking up space, unapologetically so. Han C has shown a strong will to take over the entire world, and he is in the right direction. He’s solely organizing the annual Mahalapye Spring Festival, which is taking place next weekend.
The Pepetetsa hitmaker raked some monies from his savings to put together this event. Mahalapye Spring Festival will feature Paige, Ubuntu Band, Khoisan, Amantle Brown and Double Up among others. Even though it didn’t come as a surprise, Han C was nominated at African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA) in the US, under Best Male Southern Africa category.
However, the award was snatched by the late South African rapper, AKA. Its not all lost as Han C secured two nominations at the Yarona FM Music Awards (YAMAs): People’s Choice of the Year and Best Male Single.
KOKETSO MOTSWAGOLE
This entrepreneur has turned his dreams into reality, and his promising apparel business is now a fashion destination. Matter of fact, Motswagole weathered the storms to be where he is now because through criticism and social media bullying, he still leads the pack in fashion.
His social media accounts got deleted but through his online store, KM Sales, Motswagole is able to rake in some profits. He initially started selling from his car but now owns a busy store and has employed a number of young people.
KM Sales has been offering fashionable items (shoes, t-shirts, pants) and has been participating in various lifestyle events such as Garden of Drip where it showcases its products.
If there is one young entrepreneur to draw motivation from is Koketso. The business started from humble beginnings, at the time when he worked part time at Ipelegeng as a casual labor. Indeed, good things come to those who wait, or well, work like a slave today, live like a king tomorrow.
KAGISO LUDO DE KLERK
Vee Mampeezy’s ex-wife Kagiso De Klerk clearly did not sit and weep over their dramatic divorce. The famous social media influencer hurriedly picked up the pieces and went hard on promoting business online. She literally took social media influencing to the head and it is working for her.
This year saw her partnership with Shell reach greater heights, and obviously, she is raking lot of pulas from the deal. Kagiso has been making frequent appearances in top events in South Africa such as Bubbles in Spring and Gold and Diamond Experience.
GAONA DINTWE
After a long break from the limelight, renowned media and radio personality, Gaona Dintwe is back. She was missed by many on TV, and she’s back where she belongs, news anchoring on BTV. Gaona has also found a niche in podcasting. She is a host of her own podcast, Gaona Live Conversation, where various people share their stories on camera.
Some of what they discuss is Gender Based Violence (GBV), polygamy and drug addiction. This is highly commendable because even BTV doesn’t have programs that discuss these crucial social issues. The Lentswelemoruti native is also seen in various corporate events where she is engaged as a host.
WeekendLife
DITIRO LEERO ONE MAN SHOW ON THE PIPELINE
Now that one-man shows are made fashionable, traditional dance guru and ex-convict, Ditiro Leero is joining the crusade and he will be hosting his also. The show will be held next month at Zone 4 Farm in Selokolela, but the there are traditional dance music artists who have been lined up to perform at the show. Matshana, Morwa Leka and Maswailathota will be doing their thing and probably bring some heat too. Ditiro Leero will be making history as the first traditional artist to host a one-man show in Botswana.
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MISS BOTSWANA HAVING MANY IRONS IN THE FIRE
With only two months before Miss World 2023, the reigning Miss Botswana, Lesego Chombo is having many irons in the fire, preparing for the much-anticipated beauty pageant. Miss World 2023 will be the 71st edition of Miss World pageant and it will be held in India. Chombo has been spotted toning her body at Jack’s gym, a requirement that is taken seriously at the pageant. She has also been participating in charity events, something that should add to her profile at the Miss World.